Johann Hunt
If you’ve ever had a real donut—still warm, maybe a little greasy, barely holding together under the weight of its own glaze—you know grocery store donuts just aren’t it. But the grocery store donuts on this list will make your eyes roll back mid-bite and make you reconsider what you thought a donut was.
Trader Joe’s Glazed Sour Cream Donuts
They come out of nowhere and punch way above their weight. That thick glaze doesn’t overpower; it blends into the sour cream base like it was always meant to be there. The texture is that rare mix of cakey and delicate without feeling crumbly. Microwave them for 10 seconds, and it’s practically a religious experience.
Katz Frozen Gluten-Free Donuts
You’ll pass these countless times before realizing they’re in the freezer section, which is a crime, given how good they are. They don’t just surpass the gluten-free standard; they rival regular donuts. Once warmed, they deliver fairground funnel cake vibes without the grease. They are soft, nostalgic, and quietly brilliant.
Nickles Donut Fair Glazed Twists
These are straight-up amusement park donuts. Soft enough to tear with your fingers, the kind you eat with a paper napkin even if you don’t need one, just because it feels right. The glaze sticks to everything, including your memory. It’s not fancy, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s comfort in spiral form.
Tastykake Frost Bites Mini Donuts
Powdered chocolate isn’t a combination you see every day, and that’s what makes these so oddly satisfying. The chocolate inside is dense like cake, not spongy like many packaged donuts. Yes, the powdered sugar makes a mess, but that’s part of the experience. These actually taste like someone cared during production.
Krispy Kreme Boxed Glazed Doughnuts
They’re a watered-down version of the real thing, but the baseline quality is still miles ahead of most packaged donuts. Light, slick with glaze, and almost too easy to eat. They lack the drama of the conveyor belt experience, but for something that sits in a box, they hold up shockingly well.
Favorite Day Sour Cream & Chocolate Donuts
Target’s branding game is strong, but these back it up. The sour cream one is frosting in ring form, but the chocolate version saves it with depth and that fudgy chew. They don’t feel mass-produced, even though they very much are. You forget they came in a multipack, and that’s a win.
Kroger Bakery Fresh Glazed Donuts
They look like they’d be dry and sort of are, but not in a deal-breaking way. The glaze is applied generously enough to compensate for it, and the size alone makes them feel like a steal. Think of them as budget Krispy Kreme with a little more backbone and a slightly bready edge.
Entenmann’s Chocolate Frosted Donuts
Ignore the rest of the variety pack. The chocolate-frosted donut is the only one pulling its weight. It’s not reinventing anything; it’s just doing the basics better than expected. The chocolate shell is crisp, the cake inside is soft, and the whole thing tastes like a Saturday morning before cartoons stopped being good.
Aldi Bake Shop Mini Donuts
These mini donuts are the surprise win for budget donuts. The chocolate coating is thicker and darker than expected, with less milk chocolate and more “legit cocoa.” The interior’s still a little sad, but overall, they’re way better than you’d assume based on the price. You wouldn’t seek them out, but you also wouldn’t regret the buy.
Little Debbie Frosted Mini Donuts
These mini cake donuts are generously coated in a rich, chocolatey fudge frosting, which makes them a favorite for breakfast on-the-go or a quick snack to satisfy sweet cravings. Their soft texture and perfectly balanced sweetness go with a cup of coffee or can be enjoyed straight from the bag.